MOMMY, I WANT TO BE A DJ WHEN I GROW UP… [Part 1, by Dj t_tablez]
Posted by t_tablez | Filed under ART, INTERNET, MUSIC, WEBSITE
"MOMMY, I WANT TO BE A DJ WHEN I GROW UP..."
This topic takes me back to how I got into djying… Wow, I didn’t realise it has been 12 years since the “house bug” bit me… It feels like yesterday. Anyway, it all started as an expensive hobby back in high school. At that time all I was interested in was collecting original compilation cds, and please note operative word is ORIGINAL in that sentence. As the years went by…
MOMMY, I WANT TO BE A DJ WHEN I GROW UP…
This topic takes me back to how I got into djying… Wow, I didn’t realise it has been 12 years since the “house bug” bit me… It feels like yesterday. Anyway, it all started as an expensive hobby back in high school. At that time all I was interested in was collecting original compilation cds, and please note operative word is ORIGINAL in that sentence. As the years went by and I gathered more knowledge, the more intrigued I became in the art of beat matching and the more I wanted to share my definition of house music with the world. So whatever your reasons are for wanting to be a dj, stay true to them, we have enough fakers in this industry as it stands… Oh, and if you’re after the glits and the glamour, LOL, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!! 
Back to business… Is it ever too late to start djying?? Personally, I think the earlier the better. The earlier you get into the business, the sooner you can understand what its all about, oh, not forgetting that the sooner you will loose that “bedroom dj title” . But that’s not all it takes, you also need to know and understand the basic and essential dj tools and building blocks. The five building blocks that you will be introduced to in this topic, which are a must ‘get your hands on’ for any dj that wants to master their art (this does include a good pair of ears and your brain )
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Music – Music comes in many different formats nowadays i.e. Analogue formats, and digital formats such as MP3′s, WAVS, AIFF just to name a few. As a dj, music is your heartbeat, it’s the air you breath, it differentiates you from that other dj, so protect your identity. (The different formats along with their advantages and disadvantages will be discussed in later topics)
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Decks – I’m sure you can imagine by now, that with all the different music formats, we need some means of playing back this music. As a result, we have different types of playback mediums such as the conventional analogue turntable, computer, or cd decks. (Decks will be covered in greater detail in later topics)
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Headphones – Every professional dj must have a pair of headphones. You need to find a pair that works well for you, and for what you want to do. (Headphones will be covered in greater detail in later topics)
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Mixer – Can you imagine how life on earth would be without mixers??
Disaster!! -
Monitoring system – This helps you hear, and judge, your work from the listeners perspective.
Word of advice, buy music that you really love, that way you’ll never get bored of your own music, as you’ll always get excited and want to share that feeling you get when when your record plays, with others. Besides, I don’t think there’s anymore room left for dj’s that play generic sounds out there, we have enough already, so please, BE THE OTHER KIND. What you play as a dj, and how you play it is determined by you, one important thing about djying is that you are your own teacher. If you come across some djying aspect that you are having trouble with, break the problem down, and solve it in a step by step manner, and watch yourself grow and progress, step by step towards success. The trick, just like life itself, is to always have a plan, to experiment, find problems and solve them, you will be amazed how much you walk away with.
So… Getting started…
Some may say I’m old school, and yes I love old school! Some of your favourite dj’s are where they are today by simply applying the principles they learned in their old school days. So I think it’s unfair to rob yourself of that opportunity to learn those tricks too. I too started off on the turntable, and what i found was that it made it so much easier for me to be able to move between any platform that came thereafter. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it can’t be done vise-versa, at the end of the day you know what you want out of it, so do what will work for you. The principle applies across all platforms, get the songs in sync. So get yourself between 10 to 20 tracks, and get hold of decks, a mixer, headphones and a good monitoring system, and WORK YOURSELF TO THE BONE!!! You can ask any professional dj out there, it doesn’t come over night, it comes with time.
Useful info to get you started: As you may or may not know, decks have two variables, position and speed. Position refers to where you are on the track, and speed as to how fast (and in what direction) the track is playing back. There is a pitch control on the deck that is used for your overall speed adjustments. Your task as a dj is to do whatever it takes to get the two songs, or more, in sync and keeping them in sync while they play simultaneously. So get on out there, experiment, and WORK YOURSELF TO THE BONE!
Peace!
t_tablez
TO BE CONTINUED… “Mommy, I want to be a Dj when I grow up [Part 2]…”
Tags: ART, back to business, beat matching, bedroom dj, brain music, building blocks, compilation cds, DJ TIPS, dj tools, house music, MUSIC, operative word, WEBSITE, whatever your reasons
